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Olbermann & MSNBC’s Disconnect From Reality

MSNBC suspended Keith Olbermann indefinitely. What was Keith’s shocking transgression?Did he libel the president of the company? Did he commit high crimes and misdemeanors? No. MSNBC was shocked, SHOCKED to find out that Keith (are you ready for it?) supported three Democrats running for office.

Oh the surprise. The betrayal. A political pundit has an opinion. It must be said not a very secret opinion; and he doesn’t just opine, pontificate and blow hot air, he actually acts in a way consistent with both his values and his on-air persona.

Is MSNBC shocked that Keith is not objective? Has Keith violated the code of the news reporter who is supposed to pretend to being objective? He couldn’t break the code because he is not a reporter. He is an opinion guy. That’s his job.

Does MSNBC not position itself as a partisan player, “Leaning forward” and to the left? Like the NPR Juan Williams debacle, this stinks of policies that are ill-considered and of hypocrisy. The only difference between Keith and Juan is that Keith has better ratings. In fact he has the best ratings on the network. You sinking suits at MSNBC better think this through again.

Did Keith sign a contract that said “no financial contributions to a candidate permitted?” If so, he violated his contract and was suspended correctly. I work for a financial institution and agree to a different set of rules regarding my checking account than the rest of the customers. If I violate that agreement (while within the rules for everybody else), I will receive punishment up to and including termination. If Keith didn’t like the rules, then he should not have signed the contract extension (and the applicable pay increase).

Jonathan Dobrer

Great point on the legal issue. Of course MSNBC has the right to suspend him. But the rule is obsolete and, I insist, hypocritical. Once you could tell newspeople from pundits and entertainers. The Today Show began the blurring mix of news, entertainment and some opinion.

Fox and MSNBC have rendered the distinction virtually incoherent. Arguably Shep Smith and Anderson Cooper are doing legitimate news. No other “hosts” on Fox, MSNBC or CNN qualify . They are opinion entertainers and to enforce a rule predicated on some kind of objectivity, is objectively and objectionably counter-factual.

Also strange that MSNBC, NBC Universal, Fox and Time-Warner can corporate;y give unlimited contributions. Plus Fox hires political talent for on air work. Are they newsfolk? They, along with MSNBC, invite politicians and give them off-book contributions with free air time. It’s a mess.

Cheers!
Jonathan

David Long

This might be a clever way for MSNBC to divorce itself from the perception that they are the equivalent on the Left of the Right-wing and totally in the corporate pocket obscenity of FOX “News” (aka Republican News). They seize the high ground, even in the minds of the mindless drones suckling at the FOX teat, and Keith Olbermann gets a nice vacation, gets to come back and show some humility, and a point of defense when the so called independents (you know them, the idiots, sometimes representing 1/3 of the electorate, who state just days before an election with clear choices, that they still haven’t made up their minds) say that the two institutions are the same.

MSNBC’s role in our society, is to counter the absurdities of the goose-stepping Right, that if left unchallenged, would totally dominate the toothless main-stream news media. We have seen what can happen when the Right (always in need of enemies to sustain them) gets a free ride to push their simplistic, flag waving and bigoted perspectives on a docile and disinterested society, and I thank MSNBC for being the safety valve to keep the mainstream honest and the Right-wing under the magnifying glass.